The technical deodorization of edible oil is performed both in a semi-continuous and in a fully continuous operation. In the semi-continuous operation, a distillation column is divided into at least five stages to be shut off against each other, which have a capacity of 5 to 8, preferably 7 t per stage. Each stage is equipped with a heating or cooling coil and supply conduits for injection steam (stripping steam). The stages have a common vapor discharge conduit, which is connected to a vacuum generating conduit via a vapor scrubber. By heating with high-pressure steam, a temperature of 240 to 260° C. is adjusted in the distillation column at a vacuum of 1.3 to 2.6 mbar and at a retention time of 20 to 40 min per stage, in dependence on the operating temperature. The flow of the edible oil through the distillation column is controlled automatically according to specified retention times. The batch of edible oil to be treated is supplied to the first stage, in which degassing and in part heating takes place. Thereupon, the edible oil passes into the second stage in which it is brought to the temperature of 240 to 260° C., at these temperatures flows through the third and fourth stages, and then passes into the fifth stage acting as cooling stage, in which cooling down to a temperature of about 100° C. is effected. The vapors discharged from the stages are collected in the vapor discharge conduit and passed into a vapor scrubber in which the vapors are constantly washed with circulating and sprayed fatty acid. In the vapor scrubber, the major part of the entrained organic substances is accumulated in a mixture of free fatty acids, sterols and tocopherols. The deodorized edible oil is withdrawn from the bottom of the stage acting as cooling stage (Singer, M.: Gewinnung und Verarbeitung der pflanzlichen Fette und Ole; Verlag für chemische Industrie, H. Ziolkowsky K G, Augsburg 1992, pp. 234-238). The disadvantage of this process consists in that the fatty acid obtained during the deodorization cannot be condensed in pure-grade form.